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NEVER Openweight champion Hirooki Goto vs. Punishment Martinez.
They tested each other early on with shoulderblocks. Martinez got the better of the exchange. They locked up and muscled each other back and forth before ending up in the ropes. Goto broke clean, then kicked Martinez and peppered him with rights. He whipped Martinez into the ropes but it was reversed. Goto held onto the ropes and flexed. Martinez was sent over the top but landed on his feet and returned to nail a big hiptoss that sent Goto to the floor. Martinez followed and whipped Goto HARD into the barricades.
Martinez dumped the champ back into the ring. He whipped Goto into the ring and nailed a big leaping back elbow for a two count. Martinez locked on a rear chinlock. Martinez was very vocal with every move he did. Goto fired away with elbows to escape but was caught with a big spinwheel kick. Martinez charged but was cut off by a Goto kick as Goto followed him into the corner. Goto followed up with a second and ascended to the top rope with a nice elbow for a two count.
Goto elevated Martinez but was nailed across the back. He continued wailing away on Goto, who absorbed them and fired back. They exchanged forearms back and forth. Goto caught Martinez charged and nailed a DVDR into a neckbreaker. They each fought to return to their feet. They charged and nailed clotheslines at the same time. They attempted the same again. Goto charged but was WIPED OUT with a brutal clothesline. Martinez lined him up and nailed a spinning martial arts kick for a two count.
Martinez nailed a diving elbow and a clothesline in the corner. Martinez nailed a Falcon Arrow and scored a two count. Martinez went to the top rope. Goto rolled to the outside but Martinez charged the ring and dove over the corner and the ringpost to the floor. That was nuts! Martinez continued working over Goto and scored a two count. Martinez grabbed him for a chokeslam but Goto countered into an inverted DDT. Martinez countered that but was kicked in the head.
Goto set up and nailed a kick but Martinez grabbed it and wiped him out with a big forearm. Martinez went for a chokeslam but Goto slipped out and nailed with an inverted DDT to score the pinfall.
Your winner and still NEVER Openweight champion Hirooki Goto!
This was a hell of a hard hitting match that seemed design to showcase how tough and bad ass Martinez was by having him take the fight to Goto before losing. Martinez looked absolutely awesome here and it was probably the best match I've personally seen him have. Goto was the tough SOB you'd expect and these two had a hell of a match. I want more of that!
ROH champion Adam Cole vs. YOSHI-HASHI
You could see ROH's Greg Gilliand and Gary Juster sitting in the aisle as Adam Cole made his way to the ring.
They worked over each other's arms early on. Cole backed HASHI into the corner and broke free before proclaiming "Adam Coe BAY BAY!" Cole grabbed a side headlock and was sent into the ropes but shoulderblocked HASHI down. HASHI leapfrogged Cole and rebounded off he ropes, this time shoulderblocking Cole, yelling "YOSHI-HASHI BAY BAY!" Cole wasn't happy and kicked at HASHI, who came back with a slam and again mocked Cole. That was tremendous.
HASHI drilled Cole across the back with an elbow and whipped him into the corner. HASHI kicked him off and he set up to do a move off the top but Cole realized it and shoved him backwards over the top to the floor. Cole followed and whipped HASHI into the barricade. He whipped HASHI again and HASHI was down in the crowd. Cole followed and dumped HASHI back inside the squared circle.
Cole sent him into the buckes and whipped him hard across the ring with HASHI bouncing rudely off the turnbuckle pads, grabbing at his back. The crowd chanted for one more, so Cole obliged. Cole began verbally lambasting HASHI, daring him to get up. Cole was nailed with a series of forearms but cut off HASHI with a kick to the gut. HASHI came back with a spin into a kick. HASHI rebounded off the ropes but was nailed by a Cole lariat. Cole went for the Last Shot but HASHI slipped out and caught Cole with a neckbreaker. HASHI's back was hurting him, so he wasn't able to capitalize.
HASHI caught him with a Headhunter (snapmare neckbreaker) and draped Cole across the top rope, setting him up for a dropkick to the head. HASHI scored a two count. Cole came back with several kicks and a shining wizard for a two count. Cole nailed a DVDR, snapping HASHI's neck over his knee for a close two count. They went back and forth with some near falls.
HASHI nailed a two count after a nice powerbomb. The crowd chanted for Cole after he kicked out. HASHI went back to the top and came off with a spinning senton but Cole pulled his knees up. HASHI rolled around as he was hurting. HASHI was able to come back and choke out Cole with a submission but Cole's leg was under the ropes, so the move was stopped. Cole came back with a pump kick and went for the superkick but HASHI went back to a sleeper. HASHI kept working over Cole and nailed a senton off the ropes for a two count.
HASHI went for a move but was driven back into the corner. Cole missed a charge. HASHI went for one of his own but was kicked hard. Cole came off the ropes with the Canadian Destroyer. HASHI kicked up at the last second. Cole went for The Last Shot but HASHI reversed into a small package for a close two count. Cole nailed a superkick. He followed up with a shining wizard but HASHI again kicked up. Cole finally nailed The Last Shot and scored the pin.
Your winner and still ROH champion, Adam Cole!
Excellent title defense from Cole. I don't know that anyone thought HASHI really had a shot at winning the belt here, but the story they told gave the impression he really did have a chance, which is a credit to them for putting together such a good bout. Really great stuff all around here.
IWGP champion Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay & The Briscoes vs. Kenny Omega & Cody Rhodes & The Young Bucks.
Okada and Omega started, a rematch of their classic at Wrestle Kingdom back in January. They faced off and Okada blew off Omega, daring Cody to enter the ring. Okada then tagged in Mark Briscoe. Cody tagged in. Cody took Mark lightly and ended up eating some chops and being snapped over with some quick armdrags.
Cody was brought to Team Okada's corner and worked him over. Nick Jackson tahhed in and The Bucks were able to take control on Jay Briscoe. Nick worked over Jay but was stunned wih a headbutt. Ospreay tagged in and nailed some nice offense, including a dropkick but Matt Jackson interfered. The Bucks set up for the Meltzer Driver but Ospreay turned it into a rana on Matt. The Bucks quickly cut him off and sent him to the floor. The crowd chanted for the Bucks.
Cody tagged in and stomped Ospreay hard in the corner. Omega finally tagged in and snapped Ospreay down with a hard backbreaker across his knee. He grabbed Ospreay and rammed him into the buckles. He set up to do it again, this time with Matt Jackson putting his boot out. Nick Jackson tagged in and they sent Ospreay into the corner yet again, this time with two boots. Finally, Cody, Ospreay and Matt put their boots up at the same time except Ospreay reversed it and Nick was hit.
Ospreay made a comeback but was superkicked off the apron into the arms of Omega and Cody, who then held him up to be superkicked again. They then held him for Nick to nail a splash off the apron onto him. Ospreay was tossed back in and hit with a moonsault/splash combo by the Bucks. Omega tagged in and drilled him with several kicks and a slam. Omega nailed a big elbow for a two count. Ospreay was smothered with a side chinlock.
Ospreay finally elbowed his way out but was cut off until nailing a stunner variation. He fought to get to his corner but Omega attacked him. Ospreay nailed a nice tornado DDT and finally tagged Okada. Omada and Cody fought with Okada nailing a big back elbow. The Bucks attacked Okada but he fought them off, telling them to "suck it", which was hilarious. Cody dropkicked Okada to cut him off and went for Cross Rhodes. This set off everyone battling. When it settled down, The Briscoes worked over Matt Jackson in the ring.
Mark came off the apron with the the Cactus Jack elbow to the floor. Ospreay nailed a space flying tiger drop to the floor on everyone. Cody caught Okada on the top and attempted to superplex him to the floor. Okada fought him off. Ospreay pulled Okada down and went after Cody but he was caught and superplexed off onto the pile.
When it all settled down, it was Omega and Okada in the ring facing off, going back and forth with forearms. Omega chopped Okada and drilled him with a big boot to the face. Omega set up for the one-winged angel but Okada slipped out, only to be nailed with a double superkick by the Bucks. They then nailed a triple superkick on Okada. Ospreay dove off the top on the trio and nailed a handspring into a kick on Omega. Cody attacked him but the Briscoes attacked. Jay avoided a double superkick and clotheslined the Bucks.
Okafa nailed a dropkick on Omega. Jay placed Omega on the top and nailed an awesome superplex. Okada nailed a frog splash and called for the Rainmaker. Okada nailed it but was too hurt to score the pin. he tagged Ospreay as Omega tagged Cody. Ospreay rocked him with a big dropkick in the corner and nailed a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Ospreay nailed a 720 off the ropes and went for the springboard cutter but was caught and nailed with Cross Rhodes for the pin.
Your winners, The Bullet Club!
Omega took the mic and began maniacally laughing like a movie villain. He said he had a question - what is a bad guy? What is a good guy? What is a heel? What is a babyface? He said all that means nothing. He said there is the best and there is the rest. He said The Elite are the best. He said today is Monday and the fans had work and they are all tired, but today, they had a party and 2017 will be their year. He said they will become the best in the world together.
The announcers wondered where Adam Cole was and where he fit into all this.
Great, chaotic main event with tons of big spots and lots of great back and forth action. The build to Omega and Okada facing off was great. Ospreay losing made the most sense since he was the junior member of Team Okada but he had the chance to be spotlighted with some great aerial spots. For whatever reason, Rhodes on this platform seems to click far better than he ever did in WWE or even on independents I've seen him work. Young Bucks are just off the charts as an act, but this isn't news to anyone who has followed their career. Briscoes looked great as well.
They broadcast a backstage promo where Omega said there's no good or bad anymore and those are old wrestling ideals that are great for learning about the business, but now there is only great and not. He called Tanahashi an "old f***er" and put over the Bullet Club. Cody said everyone is trying to create issues and they can't because they are Camelot, the knights of the round table. Omega said it isn't Camelot but Valhalla. The Bucks cut a promo saying they were going home to win more titles, sell more shirts, have sex with their wives and make more children. They knocked the Hardys and said they would see them on 4/1 in Lakeland, Florida. Good promo!
Overall, a hell of a show.
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